Like Whoa
by Sakka
Summary: Stranded in Anaheim, what will Kelsi do when she finds Sharpay and Ryan there as well -- and on their way to Disneyland? :D
1. Chapter 1

_Reviews and criticism are welcome! :) Yes, the title for this fic is from the Aly & AJ song, and like HSM, I don't own it. Just inspired by it. :)  
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Her flight from Albuquerque to Anaheim had barely docked at the gate when Kelsi Nielson pushed a thumb down on her phone's power button to turn it on. Around her, fellow coach passengers leaped up and began scuffling to be first off the plane. But Kelsi's eyes stayed glued to her phone's screen.

_No text message, please no text message... _

And then her phone buzzed.

Kelsi bit her lip and scanned the words.

_Hon, major meeting in New York got moved to tomorrow. Had to take the earliest flight out today. The hotel's all paid for, so go have fun! - Mom_

Even though this wasn't the first time she'd gone to visit Mom and found she'd flown off to another city, Kelsi still felt a twinge of disappointment. But she had learned to be flexible a long time ago-- her mom worked as a publicist for one of the TV studios here in California and was often juggling her schedule to fit Kelsi in... somewhere.

_Too bad summer vacation doesn't apply to her... but I'm going to make the most of my time here._ A flight attendant was staring her down. _Okay, I'm hurrying! _Kelsi shouldered her pack and adjusted her yellow and black plaid newsboy cap before sprinting down the aisle.

Making the most of her time here. That meant long, uninterrupted hours in a hotel room between her, her music notebook, and the little portable keyboard she took on _all _her trips. So it wasn't a Steinway. But after her dad bought it for her when she was nine and they were going on a road trip, she realized quickly that its light weight made it very travel-friendly. You never know when inspiration will hit you.

_Let's see. I've got to think of some songs for the winter musical. This one can't be a Sharpay Show for sure – we're _all_ graduating. We're all in this together. _ This show would be the last of its kind.

Of course there were also college plans to consider. The ominous future floated ahead. Kelsi had even toyed around with the idea of submitting a scholarship application to Julliard, but right now she had other, more pressing matters on her mind... namely, the perfect duet for Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez.

Working at the resort with them only reinforced her belief that their voices were made for each other. _You are the Music In Me_ and _Everyday _had increased their abilities – and Kelsi's too. And now she was ready to cut her teeth on some new material... ready to write for their last chance to share the stage. Not just songs for Troy and Gabriella, but for all her fellow seniors.

She emerged into the airport like a bear stumbling out of its cave from hibernation. After sitting on a quiet plane, her music and notebook the only objects requiring her attention, all the hustle and bustle of the terminal was a little shocking. After walking towards the escalators, she suddenly remembered that her mom's Acura was not waiting outside the airport for her.

Kelsi fumbled to find the business card that had the name of a reputable and inexpensive taxi driver. Kelsi groaned as she shuffled off to the side and began unzipping all the pockets of her backpack. Chances were it was at the bottom of the pack. She set her backpack precariously on the edge of one of the seats in the passenger waiting area and felt around inside.

Just then, two unmistakable voices, so out of context in the Californian airport, tickled her ears. Kelsi snapped her head up and scanned the faces of the travelers before her. _No way..._

"We're riding Small World _first, _Ryan_._" The tone sent a chill down Kelsi's spine and she instinctively clutched her backpack like an animal trying to hide behind a rock. "If you don't like that, you'll be riding Bobsleds alone."

"I can't ride it _alone_," said a male voice as if the other were asking him to burn his collection of hats – which Kelsi _knew_ that voice owned. "Who would I sit with? Who would I cling to as we go past the hungry Abominable Snowman?"

"I don't know! Get my other suitcase. Hurry up, the limo is waiting. And we know Maurice does _not _like waiting."

Sharpay and Ryan Evans emerged from behind a column. Sharpay, dazzled out in pink leather pants and a white rhinestoned jacket, a pink tote bag in the crook of her arm, took the lead in front of her brother. Kelsi barely found Ryan's white bucket hat behind a conglomerate of pink and brown snakeskin luggage.

They were heading right for Kelsi.

She shrunk even further behind her backpack.

"Wait --" Inches away from her, Sharpay lifted a hand and wrinkled her nose. "Did I leave my Juicy sunglasses on the plane--?"

"Kelsi!"

She twitched and peeked over her backpack to find Ryan beaming at her from in between two suitcases. Sharpay froze and turned around.

"Kelsi _Nielson_?"

"Uh... you found me?" Kelsi said, rising to her feet. She forced a smile.

"Why are you here?" Sharpay demanded. "Shouldn't you be home, like, working on some fabulous song for me for the next musicale?"

"Actually, I'm out here to visit my mom. But I just found out after I landed that she had to leave this morning for New York."

"That sucks," Ryan said, setting down his load of suitcases.

"Yes, and so does making Maurice mad." Sharpay stared at her brother. "We have a limo to catch, Ryan!"

"Oh – right. Hey, you should come with us!" He gave Kelsi a cheerful smile. "What do you say, Kels?"

Kelsi returned it with equal fervor. She began to open her mouth to ask what they were up to, when a sharp glare from Sharpay stopped her instantly. It would've fried her with a lightning bolt if the Evans girl had that power.

"Ryan!" Sharpay hissed.

"I'll – um – think about it," Kelsi coughed and slung her backpack on.

"You have my cell number. It's actually good you're here. I wanted to run some song ideas past you, so call me tomorrow after nine PM." Sharpay instructed, and then whipped around. "Come on, Ry!"

Kelsi watched as the Evans twins hurried off. Ryan looked at her over his shoulder before they turned a corner, and wiggled his thumb and pinky near his ear. _Call me!_ he mouthed.

Kelsi grinned and tipped her cap. _Okay._


	2. Chapter 2

_Special thanks to digigirl02, Winter Sapphire, Dramione x3 and ryelsi_fans at LJ for your reviews. Please review – I heart constructive criticism! If you like it/don't like it/characters acting weird/characters acting good, let me know! :)_

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After changing into her frog pajama bottoms and a white t-shirt, Kelsi crashed on the bouncy hotel bed with a sigh. She stared at the white popcorn ceiling for a second, and removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes. Then, rolling onto her stomach, she glanced at the nightstand clock. _9:02 PM. _

_Kelsi, are you actually considering calling Sharpay? _The drama club diva had been on speed dial – number 4, to be precise – ever since _Twinkle Towne_, when they were working through _Bop to the Top _and _What I've Been Looking For. _ But seriously... Sharpay dictating song 'ideas' was not the way Kelsi wanted to spend her last days of summer. She would get her regular fill during the school year.

But Ryan's cell number was there too. Sharpay had Kelsi program it in when his sister announced he would be choreographing all their parts. And wasn't synchronization between the choreographer and the composer crucial to _any_ musical?

_Maybe I'll just call him instead and ask to talk to Sharpay... at the end of our conversation. _She still smiled at how he'd motioned for her to call him right before they went their separate ways at the airport earlier that day.

Kelsi put the phone to her ear and listened to two rings. Then three.

... Maybe Ryan wouldn't pick up. _I'd be fine with that,_ she insisted to herself, tapping her fingers on the scratchy hotel comforter. _I mean, we should just go on with our original plans. He and Sharpay can do whatever they want, and I'll work on the songs for our next musical without Sharpay's "help". _Why disturb the waters?

But it _would _be nice to spend time with a friendly face.

"Hello?"

Kelsi jumped at the sudden voice on the other end. "Oh, hi Ryan. It's Kelsi. How's it going?"

"Hey! How strange was it to run into each other at the airport? All the way out here?"

"Very strange," Kelsi laughed. "What are you doing in California?"

"It's this thing we do at the end of every summer. We go to Disneyland, just Sharpay and me. She's... pretty particular about which rides we go on."

Sharpay at Disneyland? Part of Kelsi couldn't see it; the other part was stunned at how well the two fit together. She tried to stifle her laughter.

"So your mom isn't in town after all?" were Ryan's next words.

"No-- but that's okay; the hotel's already paid for. I'm going to work on an idea for the next musical while I can. That reminds me, Sharpay wanted to talk about--"

"Oh yeah. She's still in the shower, though, so hang on. Y'know, the offer to come with us to Disneyland is still open as far as I'm concerned."

Sharpay's life-threatening glare was still fresh in Kelsi's mind. "Well..." _C'mon Kels, don't let the Drama Queen intimidate you! _Another image of Sharpay replaced the death-glare. _"Transpose!" _

Kelsi rolled her eyes. That was enough to make her accept Ryan's offer.

"Okay, if it's really not that much trouble."

"Trouble?" Ryan's incredulous tone made Kelsi grin. "Look, after you've been to Disneyland with Sharpay, the word _trouble _takes on a new definition."

Kelsi barely heard his next words over her giggles. "I mean--" He suddenly broke into a stage voice. "Of course Kelsi, here's Sharpay!"

"Kelsi?"

She pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. "Hi Sharpay. Um, you wanted to talk about some songs for the musical...?"

"Not just _some _songs. My songs. I mean, Ryan's and my songs," she added quickly after Kelsi heard Ryan clear his throat in the background. Stifling a sigh, but with a smile lingering on her face, she grabbed her notebook and a pen.

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Truth: Kelsi had never been to Disneyland, even though she visited Mom in California every year since she was 14. She had no idea what to expect other than giant costumed characters posing for pictures with little kids, like she'd seen on the billboards on her way to Mom's house. And some ride called Pirates of the Caribbean.

After a few more text messages swapped between her and Ryan (where to meet? what time? what hat will you be wearing?), the next morning Kelsi dressed in a red, comfortable t-shirt, a black vest, and jeans. Hopefully her Converse sneakers would hold up against all the walking that would be ahead of them. Topping it all off, she fitted a crocheted red beret over her curls. _Wonder what hat Ryan'll wear,_ she found herself thinking. _He never really got back to me on _that_ text._

The hotel shuttle whisked her away to the front gates of Disneyland, and soon Kelsi walked slowly up the driveway, families and couples streaming past her. The crowd came to a head just outside the ticket huts.

_Here's where he told me to meet them. _As she glanced around to find her classmates, Kelsi just hoped Ryan had forewarned Sharpay.

Then her jaw dropped as she spotted them towards the front of the ticket line.

Perched on top of Ryan's head was a towering green Mad Hatter top hat. The brim shaded his eyes, which were already covered by a pair of slim sunglasses. He was analyzing a map of the park and tapping a pen against his chin, the same serious expression on his face as the one Taylor McKessie got when studying for a math exam.

If Kelsi's mouth wasn't open far enough already, she had to put physical effort into closing it when she saw Sharpay next to him. The blond wore a full-blown pout and every so often glanced at Ryan with disdain behind large pink-tinted sunglasses. But topping _her _head was the most blinged-out pair of Mickey Mouse ears ever known to man: covered in pink rhinestones, it seemed perfectly at home on Sharpay's head.

Summoning up all her strength, Kelsi sucked in a breath and headed towards them.

"Oh my gosh," Sharpay uttered the instant her eyes snapped onto Kelsi. "You really did invite her."

Kelsi sent a panicked glance to Ryan.

"C'mon Shar, she's all alone-- we're here-- why not?"

Kelsi appreciated his attempt to reason with his sister. But Sharpay wasn't buying it.

"Listen," Kelsi said, squinting to avoid being blinded by Sharpay's mouse ears, "I'm just gonna come back another time..."

Blowing her off, Sharpay was instead staring at Ryan. "This is _our _vacation! You and me; not you, me and Little Miss Mozart. This is an Evans family _tradition_." She enunciated each word like Ms. Darbus would while teaching freshmen the basics of acting. "We go to Disneyland, we ride Small World first, you get a new hat each year – Ryan, you can't invite an outsider!"

"What if I wanted to ride something else first? So what if I break tradition this year? Besides, one year _you_ wanted to go on the Jungle Cruise first."

Sharpay waved a hand in the air. "That was like, six years ago!"

"And Kelsi's not an outsider. She's a Wildcat." The last words were said so matter-of-factly. He grinned at Kelsi and took one step to stand next to her. Arms folded, Ryan looked at Sharpay and cocked his head.

From Sharpay's expression, Kelsi got the feeling he'd just crossed an invisible line. But she had other things to worry about: controlling the blush which developed from his warm words.

By their great fortune, the trio was next in line. After slapping her credit card down at the ticket booth, Sharpay narrowed her eyes at them.

"Then you can be together... _alone_." she huffed.

Yanking her ticket from the booth, Sharpay shot a final frown over her shoulder and stormed off into the park.

"So, um... I didn't realize this was such a big thing for you guys." Kelsi said, after she and Ryan paid for their tickets and followed slowly in Sharpay's high-heeled footsteps.

"I'm starting to think it'll be more fun without the Pineapple Princess breathing fire down our necks."

"Me too. Where to first, leader?" Kelsi grinned and nodded at the map tucked in Ryan's arm.

"_Anywhere _but Small World."


End file.
